Fisherman of Grass and Root
by Sonanoka21093
Summary: Honestly, there's not much I can say here that won't be spoiler territory. Expect weirdness!
1. Birthday Boy

This was the life, wasn't it? Wasn't anything out of the ordinary, fishing with a friend out on the lake, but today was special. Today was my birthday, not that anyone cared. Ohh, I'm sure some back home cared, but my friend? Age was just a number to her.

I took a sip from a chilled bottle of my favorite sake, and let out a sigh of contentment. Feeling a lesser heft to it, I gave it a swirl at eye level. "Getting low, huh?"

Some liked their sake hot, and some at room temperature, but on a hot day like today, you'd be crazy it take it hot, and missing out if it weren't ice cold.

Although, I guess most don't have a private fairy.

When said fairy got her bored little hands on it, she perked right up, taking a long swig of her own, before putting it back on ice. "The good stuff, huh?"

"Won't have much longer to enjoy it, right?" Gave Cirno a bit of a half-grin when I delivered that half-assed excuse.

This got my friend to raise an upside-down brow while looking up from her position in my lap, asking, "Why not?"

That got a snort out of me. "Don't play dumb, Cirno. I've been stopping by the lake some 90 years, and have less teeth left than I have wrinkles on my forehead alone."

"Is that so~?" Peering over my shoulder, I spied the supposed terror of the night, Rumia.

"It is, yeah." Didn't pay her any mind, though.

Cirno gave a huff. "Yeah, well, old men don't tend to play with fairies for some 90 years. _Clearly _you're a kid still!" She then blew a raspberry in my face.

My response, of course, was to wipe off my face and roll my eyes. Ignoring the fairy, I looked over my shoulder to the bright red and hungry eyes not an inch away. "So, what brings you here, Rumia?"

"I was going to ask if I can eat you again~" Of course she is.

"Ahh. Well, I'll save you the trouble and tell you no."

"Stingy..."

Snorting, I relented, "Fine. You can eat me, but only once I die." Might be the alcohol talking, but I was feeling a mite bit generous.

"...People die if you eat them!" That got a bright smile from her, and then she grabbed my arm, revealing that jagged maw of hers as she opened up.

"When I die some other way than to _you_. Now, let me enjoy my sake." I tugged my arm from her once iron grip.

That got a pout from my voracious friend. "Fiiiiine... I'll come back later." With that, she took to the sky, her dense black sphere obscuring her from view as she made a beeline for the forest. She was no fan of the sun, so it was no surprise, really.

Moments later, the both of us snickered when she hit a tree obscured from her own view. The bubble instantly popped, and she was left rubbing her head as she got back up. After that, she decided to just stumble into the shade of her forest, though the dent in the tree says that it took a worse beating than her.

Not a moment later, a sweet call came from the sky rang forth. "Cirno~" Looking up, I spied the great fairy, Daiyousei. You can just tell that someone else named her that, as she wasn't one to brag about, well... anything, let alone her figure.

"Dai!" The sight got a grin from the bluenette.

"Let's go have some fun with the others~"

"Sure!" With that, water began to draw from the air, freezing behind Cirno's back. She had the good sense to do it to the sides, as I'd be a bit too heavy to make a good wing.

"See ya, Cirno." I gave a short wave as she buzzed on off.

Guess that just leaves me here with my sake, my rod, and an open lake.

I took another swig, emptying the last of my birthday present to me. "Wish you were here to drink this with me..." The big 100, huh...? Didn't think I'd live to see that number.

With not a single bite the whole day, not that I much cared, I laid down with some difficulty, tugged my hat over my eyes, and shut my eyes for the final time.


	2. Setting Sail

As I opened my eyes, I found I had none. Not that I couldn't see, but there were no lids to open and no lids to shut. There was no urgency to blink, either, which was nice, all things considered.

Surrounding me there were motes of wispy, smoky light one might call souls or wisps.

Presumably just like me.

I'm dead, aren't I?

Knowing the stories of the shinigami, I knew it'd be an easy matter to escape, but, at the same time... it'd been over 20 years since I last saw my wife. And, if I go, well... maybe I might see her again.

And so, ignoring those that chose to loiter, I moved forward, finding myself before the redheaded, pigtailed shinigami herself.

Who was sleeping, of course, her scythe lazily hung over the side of her ferry.

It's not that I wasn't expecting it, as I'd heard the stories, but it didn't make it any less strange. What is the end of one's life to most, to her is simply a job. And, presumably, a pretty dull one at that.

Lacking legs of any walk of life, all I had to do to move was to want it.

And so I did move, as I wanted to wake her. Being what I figured was an impossibly cold blob, my options boiled down fairly quickly until my only choice amounted to my best friend's favorite prank.

And so she let out a shriek as I pressed against bare flesh. "Coldcoldcold!"

Once she had scampered away from me, I simply stared at her, as I had no mouth, so I could not speak.

Once the boat she laid within had stopped rocking and her nerves settled, she put on a big, friendly grin. "You really got me there, huh?" Surely knowing she'd get no answer, she continued, "Well, as you seem so ready, just hand over your coin and we'll be on the way."

I did not, as I had no hands.

"A newbie, huh? Well, that's fine." Her hand thrusted into me in the most pleasantly warm of ways, though she herself was wincing the whole way. Soon, however, she appeared to have her prize in tow. Letting out a whistle, she muttered, "Not every day I feel a heft like _this_..." Chuckling, she continued, "Well, suits me fine; I'll make it quick."

Grabbing up her scythe, she motioned me aboard.

Not knowing if I was or wasn't on, I carefully floated towards her, as looking down was a skill I likewise did not seem to possess, and I knew falling in was a fate best avoided, if the stories were to be believed.

And with that, she shoved off, using her scythe to trouble the ever still river. The ripples she cast did not last long, nor did the small boat's wake.

It was as if the water itself felt the same weight of this place that all who journey here do, as the small waves kicked up died soon after they began.

The horizon in the distance, between the deep sheen of water and dark shadow of sky was truly beautiful...


End file.
